The Price of Happiness
by K. Fang-sama
Summary: After being tormented by Aizen for too many years, Ulquiorra leaves Hueco Mundo to find a way to restart his life. What happens when a certain shinigami finds the arrancar in a human's body with no memory? Rated for language, blood, and rape.
1. Left Behind

Warning: Characters within this story will appear OOC, so no flames! if you dont like the idea, then i would highly suggest you don't read. Bleach is owned by Kudo Tite, and Shonen Jump. The only people I own are possible future OCs.

Enjoy!

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><p>"The Price of Happiness:<br>Chapter One;  
>Left Behind"<p>

The room was dark and old. A room; that Aizen left behind out of seeing no use for it; left its proud white stone to age brown, and its even architecture was jagged, crumpled, cracked, and in some areas, demolished. The brown-colored floor had a strange design etched into it with more new, white stone. It appeared to be a spiderweb, with one sentence carved into the middle: **Para Siempre en Batalla Gloriosa (Forever in Glorious Battle).**

It was just the four of them, sitting in a circle, and their eyes mixed of several emotions. Here, Szayelapporo, Grimmjow, Nnoitora, and Tesla sat, their eyes fused with many things; guilt, humiliation, worry, and wonder all swerved within their eyes, and no one dare spoke about it. The events that had occurred in the past few years up until the past few hours left all four in a state they couldn't even describe...

_- 24 Hours Ago: Combat Room_

_It was in a different training hall. Grimmjow, of course, was beating the shit out of anybody he could challenge. He enjoyed the rush of battle, and he didn't care if he was killing anybody, he just cared that the stupid weak girls watching in fear got rid of the remains; had to have more room, otherwise he'd have to clean it up. Why bother with the work he didn't have to do?_

_Nnoitora was watching from the balcony, enjoying the pure bloodshed that the idiots were getting, and enjoying every minute of their pain. He didn't care if they were weak; a battle to the death was so invigorating; he just had to see it! The rich crimson coming out their veins; the bones cracking at horrendous volume; the being twisted and pulled off in abnormal ways, and his favorite; the screams of agony from the victims forced to endure it. Yeah, he was enjoying himself..._

_Tesla was with him, of course, wanting nothing other than being able to follow his master. He watched the battle intently, as well, analyzing Grimmjow's tactics, and staring in complete awe at his strength. For just a moment, he believed that Grimmjow could defeat Nnoitora before completely throwing it aside. Not once had the Sexta came close, and he even watched their most recent battle. Nnoitora had given him no mercy, and if it wasn't for Aizen applauding them and ordering Grimmjow to seek medical treatment, he was positive the lower ranked Espada would die._

_"Are we enjoying ourselves?" A familiar voice asked. Both heads on the upper balcony turned to see the Octova Espada, smiling as his glasses shined in the lighting of the room, and his pink hair moving swiftly as he approached. Tesla bowed to him, slightly, while Nnoitora spat at him. The Quinto couldn't remember the last time he talked to Szayelaporro at all. "Hmph! Whatever happened to the Nakama?" He asked, bluntly, acting hurt that he was ignored._

_"I don't know how to explain that, Szayelapporo-sama." Tesla trailed off, unsure of what he could say. The subject wasn't exactly one they enjoyed touching. In truth, the last time they had even spoken of it was three years beforehand, and they hadn't touched it since then. He did question the events, himself, but he never spoke it aloud because of Nnoitora; afraid he would be angered should he speak of it.  
><em>

_"I'll tell you what happened." Nnoitora said, his agitated voice no higher than a whisper. He stood straight before turning around, giving Szayel a look that mixed of frustration and annoyance. "It was never a Nakama! We called it that because we thought that a little runt of an Espada could make us feel happier, even though we hallows aren't meant to have hearts. What we saw in it..." He paused taking in a few deep breaths, trying not to get emotional about it._

_Both Tesla and Szayel knew how passionate Nnoitora was, back then. He enjoyed every minute he had with his 'nakama.' Not one second did he feel frustrated with them, or believe that a battle would ever lead to them separating. They knew the former Octova, at the time, enjoyed every waking moment of it, due to the fact he didn't feel like he was fighting for himself, but for something he cherished, and he still cherished the memories. To Szayelaporro's knowledge, however, he knew the minute it ended had crushed the mantis' being._

_"What we saw in it wasn't real. We saw a little kid reach out a hand while the four of us felt alone, in some way, and we accepted it because he gave us feeling, again. Then said kid threw it in our faces; said it never happened, and told us we were trash he would happily throw away. Those three years of Nakama ended because of him." The Quinto told them, trying as hard as he could to repress the sadness beginning to choke his very breath. How he hated to think about it..._

_Grimmjow's fight had just made it to a close. The Sexta had begun to dust off his pant legs, smirking happily at his work. He loved fighting; loved it more than he did killing. That was simply because a kill made the fight end, and the person surviving meant it would start back up. Even still, he had to kill weaklings; they're not worth fighting a second time. If not for that, at least to his own thoughts, Grimmjow thought that he might be a bit more merciful. This, he couldn't help but snicker at. **"Yeah, right."** He thought in his usual arrogance. Like that was ever gonna happen._

_"Are you finished?" A cold, melancholic voice questioned keeping a smooth monotone. All four left in the room looked ahead and saw their superior; their Cuatro; Ulquiorra Cifer. The sight made two of the four glare, put one in slight shock, and the other in wonder. What was he doing here? Ulquiorra had never went down to this facility; specifically because it was for all lesser arrancar as well as their superiors. He didn't want to train with trash, so he trained with his superiors in the likelihood so he could keep an acceptable level of strength and get stronger, should he need it; last time he was down here was__ years beforehand._

_Naturally, Grimmjow wasn't going to take whatever bullshit the Cuatro was ready to give him, so he got to the point. "What the hell do you want?" He yelled at him. Grimmjow had only seen the Cuatro in the room when he was a child. He was rather skilled, even for being a little more than five years younger than him, and still was, considering his current rank. However, seeing Ulquiorra down here made no sense; there was no reason for him to even step in._

_The Cuatro stayed silent, ignoring Grimmjow's question, and beginning to walk toward the head of the room where there laid several indents within the wall by the strongest of fighters. The Sexta remembered when he put his in; symbolizing he had worth to him for Aizen, no matter how much he hated him. He also remembered that Ulquiorra had put his in on the same day he did; the pale man was only seven years old..._

_Ulquiorra knelt down close to the wall, and tracing his hand on the large and deep slash that he had put in almost precisely nine years before coming the next day. He smirked to himself; the day he had done this was the first real time he had ever felt strong, or a greater form of self confidence. The thought was rememberable, for it was also when he he first proved strength to Aizen, as well; that thought made neutrality return to his features._

_He stood up, turning to face Grimmjow with cold, yet somewhat confident eyes. This left them all confused; they couldn't even recall the last time he had allowed any form of emotion to rise to his features. The idea he had led to one too many questions, that they already knew would be hard to answer. _

_"Do you remember, Grimmjow?" He questioned. The teal-haired man gave him a look of confusion. What the hell did he mean by 'remember'? Ulquiorra wasn't somebody who focused on the past unless he saw it necessary, and that was for orders from Aizen. So what was he bringing up? "I believe you recall the day we placed our marks here; you were assigned as Noveno the next day while I was being tried for a probable Fraccion." That, he recalled quite well, for he watched his current superior's trials the following day, shortly after being promoted. "This room has other significance. Six years ago, I showed you that."_

_He thought it over before growling._ _How could he forget the first time they ever fought? The younger man was three ranks ahead, at the time, and Grimmjow didn't like the fact a nine-year old was his superior. What he also remembered was how different Ulquiorra was then compared to now. Why would he ever think about his childhood when it was thrown away, and kept that way?_

_He didn't get much time to think it over. "Your words were that there was no way that you would accept a child as your superior." Ulquiorra stated, unsheathing his zanpakuto. "We had fought that one time to allow the other to see strength. Perhaps you would like history to repeat itself?" He inquired._

_Now they understood why he was here; he wanted to fight Grimmjow again. While the Sexta agreed with confidence, unsheathing Pantera, the other three couldn't help but wonder why Ulquiorra had challenged him. Normally, he'd have to be provoked as to do as much as to raise a hand against an opponent, and would also ignore these types of challenges from the Sexta, yet here he was, switching roles, and willing to fight with more strength than he saw necessary. For what possible reasons did he have?_

_They watched the fight, and what they saw they saw was shocking. Grimmjow was fighting with his usual tactics, however, the Cuatro had averted back to an older style that he hadn't used in a long time. A slash at him led to a block then a kick. A punch simply led to an uppercut. A kick led to a dodge. However, not once had Ulquiorra tried attacking with his zanpakuto. It was something so very unusual when they knew the fight could have been over with a simple sonido and a deep slash in the abdomen or chest. That's how it was whenever he had his zanpakuto out._

_The battle lasted for hours, and Ulquiorra still hadn't changed his tactics. The three watched in complete dumbfounded shock. This was unlike what they were so used to seeing within the Cuatro. He would have been finished by now, simply because he never wasted his time with 'trash' for this long. Even as Ulquiorra finished, they were surprised with how much mercy he had given the Sexta. _

_He wasn't bleeding at all, but there were a good number that left him plenty sore. He didn't understand why Ulquiorra had fought the way he did, but sure enough, Grimmjow wouldn't be answered by the Cuatro. The raven-haired man simply sheathed his sword and left the room, quietly, while the others tried to contemplate his reasons as to avert to his old, merciful battle style. He hadn't used it in Kami-sama knows how long._

_Either frustrated or having given up on finding the answer, the four retired for the evening to go to sleep. No use trying to find an answer they wouldn't get..._

_The next morning, there was an Espada meeting immediately after breakfast hours. People showed up to the meeting room in an orderly fashion, and all had sat down to allow it to begin; almost everybody, that is..._

_When Aizen walked in, he looked at the empty chair across from Grimmjow, where a certain Cuatro would normally sit, only to find it empty. Everyone was actually very curious. The fourth ranked Espada never missed a single meeting unless it were under extreme circumstances; not even medical conditions would keep him down unless it were that severe. So where was he?_

_"Has anyone seen Ulquiorra, this morning?" Their leader questioned. Everyone began muttering; could you blame them? This wasn't anything usual, in fact, far from it. Was Ulquiorra running late? Did he oversleep? All these questions came up, but no one had an answer._

_"Last time I saw him was yesterday morning, after breakfast." Gin started for them._

_"I saw him for an hour in the afternoon, but I didn't see him at dinner." Hallibel added. It's not like she wasn't used to their sparring sessions, nor was anybody else. If Ulquiorra followed his usual schedule, then there was just something he was attending to in order to ensure the meeting could go without any form of disturbances._

_"Yeah, but I didn't see him after dinner; he skipped out on our evening spar before bed." Stark threw in. It wasn't a thing like the Cuatro to do so, for he relied on Stark to help with his training so he would never become weak._

_Grimmjow's eyes widened at the Primera's words. He was right, after all; Ulquiorra was fighting _him_ the night before. The realization just came to the Octova and Quinto as well, then it soon came into questioning why Ulquiorra changed his usual routine, as such. Although slightly taken aback by the fact, Grimmjow spoke up. "He was fighting me in one of the training rooms, in Quantum B." He told the ex-shinigami, truthfully._

_Aizen's brow rose. "And what was he doing down there?" He questioned, curiously. Ulquiorra would never be caught dead within that part of Las Noches, unless he was taking some form of short cut to get to the throne room, or if he was required to bring one of the lesser forward so they could be tested to become numeros; even then, it was rare._

_The Sexta didn't know what to say, simply because he was up half the night trying to figure that out. "I ask him, but he wouldn't answer. All he did was challenge me, and we fought." He answered, truthfully._

_Tousen stepped forward. "_He_ challenged you?" He questioned, confused. The Cuatro was never one to do so unless it was ordered of him. Grimmjow gave him a straight face, looking at the man through his strange glasses, nodding slowly. "Why would he bother?" He asked, not seeming to believe the idea. _

_He didn't know how to answer, but that didn't stop him from yelling at Tousen. "How the fuck should I know? The guy just went up and did it, not even bothering to leave an explanation!" He argued._

_This is where Szayel decided to step in before he was assigned to fix the walls to the meeting room, again. "If I may, Aizen-sama." He said, standing up. They all turned towards him. "Grimmjow's telling the truth; I laid eyewitness to the fight, and treated him, afterwords." He told them, only half lying. There was no way he was going to admit Ulquiorra averting to an old battle style, simply because he knew it had meaning. That meaning was for the four of them to see, and if the Cuatro had spoken, he probably would have ordered them to not speak of the battle. They just needed to figure out why..._

_Nnoitora also stood. "Yeah! Tesla and I were both watching, too; fucker was holding back way too much!" He complained, crossing his arms. It wasn't like he was lying; Ulquiorra had used that technique so that way he'd never hurt anybody he didn't want harmed, when in truth, he was able to do so much better, and had even proved it. The idea of him using it frustrated the Quinto to no end..._

_"I see." He said. "I suppose we will hear his excuse when he shows up." Their leader said, taking his seat._

_The meeting lasted for three hours, and even towards the closure, Ulquiorra hadn't made an appearance. Everyone was very confused when they left, including the three who last seen him. What the hell was going on? This was beyond unlike Ulquiorra; to be late was rare, but to miss a meeting without an explanation was just not like him. They had to find the Cuatro so they could get an explanation._

_Just as they were about to separate to go about in search, a certain blond ran forward. "Noitora-sama, Grimmjow-sama, Szayelapporo-sama!" Tesla called, dashing forward in a massive spring with a folded paper in his hand. The three stopped and stared at him, wondering what the hell he could want that was so important. "Look!" He told them, tiredly, handing them the sheet of paper._

_Nnoitora swiped the sheet of paper out of his hand, and unfolded it. All three stared at it. On the sheet of paper was a drawing of a spider web with an old phrase that they all knew so well written within it:** 'Para Siempre en Batalla Gloriosa.' **In the top corner, in Gothic handwriting, read something else. **'To: The Champion, the King, the Genius, and the Servant,'** while in the bottom corner, it read, **'From: The Chosen.'**_

_All of them knew the symbol on the page referred to their old training room, which they hadn't been in in years, and the titles were all code names that they gave themselves. Nnoitora was the Champion, Grimmjow was the King, Szayel was the Genius, Tesla was the Servant while the Chosen was none other than their missing Cuatro. "Where did you find this?" The Quinto demanded, enraged. _

_"I was finished preparing to meet you, as we do after every meeting, and I found between the seems of my bedroom door as I opened it." He explained, truthfully._

_They were all surprised. In earlier years, they used this type of messaging to tell the others to meet in said room, for private sessions, or to hang out, and if there wasn't a time on it, everyone listed were to go to said room, immediately. The fact Ulquiorra averted back to this assured all four of them that there was something going on, and that Aizen is to never know about it. In a hurry, they Sonido-ed to the old room..._

_When they got there, they didn't see Ulquiorra, or anybody, like they'd expect whenever coming down there. What they did find was surprising; a hunting knife whose hilt was emerald, and whose handle was decorated with string consisting of gold, purple, teal, and mint green. Grimmjow had crafted him the knife when he was a kid, and he decorated the handle to show that as long as the string was there, they would always be Nakama; the fact the string hadn't moved and that the knife wasn't thrown out made them all wonder if the Cuatro had ever really thrown the idea itself away._

_The knife was stabbed into the center of the web, and it was holding another sheet of paper. The Octova removed the knife and handed hit to Tesla before standing, and unfolding the paper, soon reading the words aloud. _

**_"'Dear Nnoitora, Grimmjow, Szayel, and Tesla, _**

**_I know that you all have plenty of questions; questions that you believed I wouldn't answer. Well, I have answers for you now, and everything written here is nothing but the truth! I know that for the past three, soon to be four years I had kept you in the dark. That's because I had to protect you from Aizen; the sadistic bastard had threatened me with your lives if I didn't put on a mask that you couldn't break through. However, in doing so, I doomed myself into being his personal toy that he could mess with whenever he wanted. It had lasted for too long, I just couldn't take it anymore! I had to find a way to end it! _**

**_So, I decided to choose a day to see you all; to take a chance as to tell you there was something going on without saying much for words; I did so with reminding Grimmjow of the past and fighting him the way I desired to do so, for years, so that I could never come close to killing him. Shortly after I left, I had already a sheet prepared so that we could meet; it was only a matter of waiting for Tesla to go to sleep that I snuck it into the crack of his door. I then returned to my room, wrote this, and got out my old knife before returning here. I placed this final message to you with this object to tell you the truth._**

**_I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this when it happened, but I was so scared, and I still am. Please understand, though, that not once had I stopped worrying about what would happen to you; my Nakama. I didn't want to hurt you, or throw you away, and I still don't, but I already can't take staying here, and I can't bare looking at you and telling you what happened. You're not trash; I do care about you, but I can't live another day here, where all the pain is. I'll probably never see you again..._**

**_Goodbye, maybe forever,  
>Ulquiorra (aka: Ulqui-chan)'"<em>**

_Szayel trailed off at the end, covering his mouth in utter shock. Nnoitora was just as surprised, and perhaps more so, but soon found his mood depressing at just hearing the letter. Tesla was in a similar condition, his mind drawing at a blank as to what could have happened. Grimmjow was just getting angry with himself. How could not see it? ! People don't change overnight, and Ulquiorra took those steps very quickly. He should have been able to see the pain that he was going through, but yet he missed it._

- Present

They had stayed there for hours, and even still, these emotions that the Cuatro unlocked years before, the ones they weren't shamed of then, they had been trying to repress with all of their might, however the attempts were all halted as one question came up within their mind. _"What happened to you, Ulquiorra?"_

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><p>finished! i hope i didnt make it too ooc for ya, but i kinda had to in order to make the plot line.<p>

ato shato,  
>~ K. Fang-sama<p> 


	2. Equilibrium

reviews, story alerts and story favs; i luv seeing these, for it helps me kno im doing a good job. thx to all who read chapter one, and now, onto chapter 2!

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><p>"Chapter Two;<br>Equilibrium"

Ulquiorra sat in a dark waiting room. There was barely any light, but it was also unneeded unless the people there had to somehow find there way to one of the doors. No one knew where they went, for no one came out of the doors. All of them were one way directions that lead to different paths and experiences; the exact thing the former Cuatro needed.

He sighed inward. He had been there for the past few days; three days from the night he had left everything he had known and cared about behind. Here was a place he could not be touched. A place only a select few could go to. It was a place specifically meant for those who needed it. And with his past, he most assuredly needed their aid.

The quiet was broken from words that he allowed to escape. "Mundo De Ser." He muttered. Literally meaning the World of Being. This world had people that appeared like humans, but were far from it. The place was treated like an office, which had given out numbers to tell people when they were to go up to the information desk that determined which office to go to. As a final note, no being, no matter where there from, or what there kind has been doing, is excluded from their line of work.

He didn't truly mind the wait; he was actually enjoying the peaceful quiet that he knew would only be interested by the call of a number, which his still had a couple hundred to go. It allowed him to think over what he was going to do or to say to whomever he'd be set up with. It also got him to look forward to new things that could await him. But, if anything else, it allowed to think about Hueco Mundo and his Nakama before everything went wrong...

_- Almost Seven Years Before_

_He was only nine. Nine years old, and Aizen had seen something in him for his army, otherwise, he wouldn't have been allowed to serve. It gave him confidence that he could build skill much more to his leader's approval, and high hopes that he could make himself a more astounding arrancar than what others had claimed he was. He appreciated the praise, but it didn't mean that he was worthy of any strength._

_He trained. This child with jet black hair that went down to his waist, pale white skin, and eyes of a startling green that carried so much innocence and excitement. In his uniform, he had continued to fight, gaining experience was necessary so that he could still move on in his life, and continue to grow stronger for his leader. That meant everything to him, but he had only wished that it was a bit less lonely..._

_Just as the boy finished, sheathing his overgrown sword in the sheath strapped to his back, using both hands to make sure he got it into the sheath, he wondered if he could ever find anybody who'd actually like him. Nobody enjoyed a cheerful child, and almost everybody got frustrated with him, especially since he was so young and could kick all of there asses without much of any effort. This made things so hard to pull through; that didn't mean he was gonna throw almost four years of training out the window._

_He heard clapping. A smooth, steady beat that came once every few seconds. The boy looked up to see who it was applauding, and found himself rather surprised. There stood a male about fifteen years old, by the looks of things, with a muscular tan body, wild, teal-colored hair, cerulean blue eyes, green markings out at the edges of his eyes, a mask fragment on his right cheek, and his hallow hole in his lower abdomen._

_Ulquiorra's eyes widened at seeing him, and remained in shock as the male made his way down, his applause ceasing. The much younger arrancar found it hard to believe that he was here. His superior that was known for so much destruction and violence. Somebody rarely defeated unless it was by his superiors. The Noveno Espada; Grimmjow Jeagerjaques._

_"Nice job, pipsqueak!" He complimented. Ulquiorra only blinked at the older male, seemingly dumbfounded. "Why ya fuckin' starin' at me, like that?" He yelled at the lower arrancar, making him shrink back some; he knew the wrong words would get him killed, for certain. The Noveno sighed. "Forget it!" He told him, walking the length of the room as the other arrancar began to sink back; last thing they were gonna do was challenge him._

_ Frustrated, he shouted once more. "BEAT IT! THE LOT OF YA!" All of them scurried out, and due to Ulquiorra's size, he had to make sure he couldn't get crushed, so by the time the room was empty and he was about to leave, his luck had already run short. "Not you, pipsqueak!" Grimmjow told him, a bit more calm than he had been a few moments before hand._

_Taken aback, Ulquiorra looked up at him, fearfully. "Relax! I'm not gonna hurt you, Cifer!" Now he was more surprised; how did the Noveno know his name? "You _are_ Ulquiorra Cifer, right?" He questioned. The ebony nodded at the man, a bit less hesitant than he was a few moments before. "Good! That means I don't have ta go lookin any further." He said, beginning to walk to the exit. "Aizen wants you, now! So, pick up the pace, pipsqueak!" He yelled at the lesser arrancar, glaring at him._

_Although, ultimately surprised, he raced ahead to catch up with his superior, soon walking quickly, beside him. Why would Aizen want him? The fact he sent down one of his Espada had given away that it was important, for sure, but what he didn't get is why. He was insignificant of any strength or of any worth to his leader with the way he was. Sure, he made his mark on the wall to prove he had some, but that was degraded due to the number of arrancar who had proven it; all he did was prove that he could still be a good chess piece; a pawn; not anything worth of value._

_They arrived in the throne room, the other Espada and some of their fraccion standing by. All of them went quiet as the two entered the room, both bowing in respect towards Aizen before standing straight as to look at him. "Thank you, Grimmjow!" He said, allowing the ninth to return to his waiting fraccion. "Ulquiorra, I recall." He started calmly, grabbing the youngest arrancar's attention. "I'll admit it, I've had my doubts when you started serving me as a child, but with the way you are now, I must say I'm impressed!" He told the child._

_Ulquiorra looked up at Aizen, a bit embarrassed. "Forgive me, but I don't believe there's much to be impressed about, Aizen-sama! There are several men within Las Noches that are better than I, and they have more experience, as well. I haven't properly earned any form of compliment, for it's nothing to be impressed about, Aizen-sama." He told his leader, honestly._

_"Oh?" He questioned. The nine-year-old nodded. "Correct me if I'm wrong, Ulquiorra, but didn't you fight more than 200 hundred Adjuchas when you were only turning six years old, and as Menos Gillian?" He received a silent nod. "And when you were seven, did you not place a large, deep indent into what's called La Pared Imposible?" Again, another nod. "And is it not true that since your arrival, you've not once been defeated in battle, including the battle with the Menos Vosto Lorde that attempted to destroy Las Noches as of last week?" He asked the boy._

_Ulquiorra nodded. "I did indeed handle that with ease, Aizen-sama!" He answered, not daring to lie to his leader in hopes as to not disrespect him._

_The brown-haired shinigami didn't seem fazed by the reply. "Then, there is plenty to be impressed over, since you are but nine years old." He reminded the child. The other arrancar began to mutter, wondering what kind of interest Aizen could have in him. "These trifles in your life, as well as several more, has left me with a positive decision; I was faltering a bit, but after your last few experiences, I've made up my mind." He proclaimed to him._

_The green eyed child seemed lost. "On what, Aizen-sama?" He pondered. Surely, it wasn't anything that great! Sure, he tended to improve, quickly, but it's just who he was, there was no helping that; so, what could Aizen have possibly taken interest to that had to call an Espada to come get him?_

_"Your promotion." They all stared at him in surprise, Ulquiorra especially. He wasn't expecting that type of answer; far from it. He had only expected to be in some form of selection for a mission, like whenever he went down to the throne room. "From this day forth," their leader began, extending a finger out at the raven-haired child. "Ulquiorra Cifer, you are Sexta Espada!" He told him._

_The reaction was only one he could expect from most of the elder arrancar; complete surprise, and absolute anger. He didn't find it surprising, due to the fact he just seemed to have the effect on his comrades, naturally, whether it be because of age or because he was that difficult to deal with, when they all believed that he would have been taken down, far too easily. His own reaction was a shocked expression, and complete disbelief. "Are you sure about this, Aizen-sama?" He questioned, dumbstruck._

_His leader only smirked, knowing full well that Ulquiorra had found it hard to take in, however, answered his question, assuredly. "Yes, I'm very sure, Ulquiorra!" He replied, smoothly. He watched the boy's eyes flicker in fear as he moved his head around, looking at those who were just made his subordinates. "Grimmjow!" Aizen called, ignoring the complaints. The Noveno stepped forward, everyone there quieting, but still rather shocked and/or annoyed. "Take Ulquiorra to the tattoo parlor, and have him receive his rank. And when you're finished there, drop him off in his new room." He ordered._

_Bitterly, gritting through his teeth, and glaring, Grimmjow bowed. "Hai, Aizen-sama!" With that, he began to drag his new superior to the door, by the wrist._

_"And Grimmjow!" The Espada turned back, not truly in any better mood. "I don't want you trying to do anything to him; should I find out that such a thing occurred, you will regret it." He promised the blue haired teen. Nodding, he began to drag the kid off._

- Present

Ulquiorra chuckled to himself; the first day he had actually met Grimmjow was also the same as when he first stepped into the Espada. It wasn't that surprising, really, but looking back, he couldn't help but chuckle at the prior events. Even so, the look soon changed as he glared at the dark floor, beneath his feet; he should have figured that the day he entered the Espada was meant to turn into disaster, no matter what good he tried to make of it.

His head flickered up as one of the windows opened, and a woman with purple colored skin and golden irises called out. "Arrancar!" She said. His eyebrow rose in question. "I mean you, green eyes! You Ulquiorra Cifer?" She questioned him, sounding slightly irritated. He nodded. "Then, get your ass out of that chair; Ning Tan wants to see you!" He got up and headed for the doors. "You go through the lavender one, find hallway G, then keep going until you see a bright white door ahead of you!" With that, she shut the window.

The former Espada walked through the purple door, and began walking ahead. The dark passage way was lit through these bright crystals that shined a piercing crimson. Once again, he could barely see his feet on the ground, for even with the light, the walls and floors were all dark, and shadowy. Those lights were also the only reason he knew which way was straight so that he didn't bump into anything. Why they decorated this way, he would surely never know.

The halls were so long, it took him ten minutes just to pass hallway A, which had a large, sapphire-like A hanging above the passageway. _"At least I'll know where to look, in order to find it."_ He thought, looking ahead. He was patient, sure, but right now, Ulquiorra just wanted this meeting to be done so he could move on. The longer he had waited, the more he thought about Las Noches, and the more he thought about the city, the more he wished he didn't know it existed; the more he wished he didn't know Aizen existed...

He had just passed hallway D when another one of the strange beings of that world showed up. He had a more gremlin appearance to him, and his voice croaked like a frog, but looking into his oddly gray-colored eyes, he saw that the creature meant no harm to him. "Which hallway are ya going to, son?" He asked, his creepy voice filled with kindness.

Although creepy, Ulquiorra gave him a small smile in response; he was the first person in years who had treated him kindly just because he was a person, not because he was a superior over him. That feeling in Hueco Mundo seemed as endless as the white sand deserts. "Hallway G." He replied, stepping aside as if to invite the creature to walk with him.

He obliged, continuing on with their stroll. "That wouldn't mean you're going to Ning Tan, would it, son?" He asked him, a bushy brow risen.

Ulquiorra nodded. "That's right; she called for me before my number was even called out." He explained to the gremlin. The former Espada wasn't gonna miss out on his first chance to actually talk to someone, especially since their was no lord over him making him be silenced. He didn't know how long he'd be able to take it before he'd go insane.

The creature gave him eyes of sadness, averting his eyes to his clawed feet. "I see." The Cuatro gave him a risen brow of his own, rather confused. "Ning Tan only does that when she's sneak peeked a look at someone's file, knowing the results of what happened when they'd go down to the Wish Applicators. Those people will tolerate many situations, but Ning Tan knows what they won't accept, and she takes all those people, calling them her clients, and calling them up so that they have the chance that every person that comes here deserves. It's not going to be the last time she does this, no matter how many times she's stepped out of line with her job." He explained to him, looking up with truthful eyes.

Now, Ulquiorra was shocked. He didn't know an application could be rejected, and actually felt thankful someone wanted it approved. "There's more than one type of job, here?" He questioned, looking down at the green creature with confusion. He knew so little about this dimension.

He chuckled. "I'm not surprised you'd ask that; not everybody knows about the jobs, here." He told him. "There are many different jobs for different people. Wish Applicants and Wish Granters may have similar bounds, but they're still different jobs; Ning Tan is a Wish Granter that negotiates wishes, fills the application, and grants them; it's why she has specific clients." He told the Cuatro.

This peeked some of his interest. "What about your job?" He asked him, curiously.

He smiled, sadly. "We used to be the magical trifles for protecting clients; mostly in a human country called Great Britain. However, some fool made a mockery out of us, allowing him and his fleet to wreak havoc on humans and clients, alike. Since we couldn't stop our own kind, the deity of this realm decided to take our kind for the way we were acting; Gremlins, in words you'd understand. Ever since that disaster, my kind has been working on storage and inventory for what was given so the wish could be granted; equal balance is the only that keeps this place stable, so in a way, we're helping to keep our home in one piece."

Ulquiorra seemed impressed. "It sounds like a handful; you must work very hard at what you do." He complimented.

The gremlin looked up. "Oh, I do, but barely anybody around here appreciates it. We're treated worse than those hoared Rat-Dragons, and they don't even clean the rooms right, so we have to do it for them." He complained, giving the pale teen eyes of grief.

He chuckled before patting the gremlin's shoulder. "I know what that feels like, trust me." He told him. Ulquiorra had learned that even though his former leader was properly mannered, he never really cared for anybody but himself, and he never appreciated the effort that was always put in for him. One of the many reasons life in that damned city felt so empty.

The gremlin smiled, looking up. However, he stopped. "Here's hallway G." He told the arrancar. The Cuatro looked up, noticing the sapphire G and the lights leading to a hallway to his left. "Good luck, son!" He told the man, beginning to walk off.

The man stammered as the creature walked off. "W-wait!" He called. The green-skinned being looked back at him. "May I know your name?" The gray-eyed male seemed surprised. "You're the first person that's showed me some sort of kindness in a long time; I at least want to remember you as something other than a gremlin." He explained for him.

Although he was surprised, he smiled at the raven-headed teen. "My name is Algar Rhims." He introduced, happily.

The arrancar smiled, again. "Ulquiorra Cifer." He greeted back.

Still grinning, the gremlin called Algar waved a clawed hand. "Good luck, Ulquiorra; I hope you find what you're looking for!" With that, he walked off, soon disappearing in the distance. With a sigh, Ulquiorra made his way down hallway G, a bit more relieved than he had felt before, but very anxious, now knowing about his Wish Granter.

He continued to think about what Algar told him about Ning Tan; she sounded like a caring person, and was definitely not your average Wish Granter. She cared so much that she allowed those she knew would be rejected to get a chance at something as long as there was a balanced payment. Considering what he had went through, he was willing to give anything for his wish, and Ulquiorra knew very well that he'd have to give something big for it to be granted.

After walking for what felt like forever, he stopped abruptly, shielding his eyes from a blinding light that drew him out of his train of thought. His eyes felt as if they had begun to burn from the intensity, and like the bat he is, luminous strength was something he had to focus on, due to his sensitive eyes. If they had not any time to adjust, he would have trouble seeing what was ahead of him; an advantage he had in Las Noches, for if the lights weren't dim, then they weren't on.

After his eyes became a bit more focused, he dared a glance ahead at what he was looking at. Struck with surprise, Ulquiorra found himself staring at a shining, pearl white door but a mere few feet in front of him that was attached to no wall, for the hallway dragged on behind it. The doorknob appeared to be crystal, and he was right, was probably some form of jewel that was used for decoration. On the head of the door, Japanese characters labeled it in silver material, spelling one name, peculiarly enough.

_"This must be it!"_ He thought, walking towards the door, raising a hand to knock it. As he did so, the ex-Espada couldn't help but notice how nervous he really was. His body was sweating, and his breaths had just become uneven. He could feel his body tremble, and had found that all that control he had somehow found whenever he was in the presence of others had just completely vanished, and he couldn't help but feel weak and insecure, as he could not compose himself.

Finally, there came an answer. "Yes, who is it?" A feminine voice called out, muffled by the door, but loud enough so that any person in front of it could hear, and the bat had heard perfectly.

He swallowed a hard lump in his throat, trying to calm himself down enough to answer the woman. "U-Ulquiorra Cifer! May I come in?" He said, hesitantly, thankful he could muster his voice to speak clearly and to a high enough volume so that the person inside could hear.

Oh so suddenly, the door flung open, making the teenager flinch, stepping back in shock. He hadn't been so jumpy unless Aizen had come to see him while he was alone, and off guard (often in his room). That, and the fact he felt completely drained of whatever composure he had before, for _it_ was either minuscule, or was absolutely done and gone. "Of course, I've been waiting!" The voice replied.

The arrancar soon stepped in, taking in his surroundings. He found himself staring at a purple carpeted floor of a small office, with bookshelves up against the shelves of the wall behind him, and to the sides of him. Ahead of him, he noticed two crimson, and well-cushioned chairs standing at the sides of a wooden coffee table, as well as in front a long, stained, wooden desk. Along the walls behind it, he noticed filing cabinets, one on each side, while a large, diamond shaped window allowed light to draw into the room, which shined on a single person.

It was a woman with a very attractive figure, and much like the door he entered through, her skin had nearly matched the color upon it, but it shined more beautiful than any pearl, and he has seen quite a few with a marvelous shine. She had her feet propped up, crossed, and resting on top of her desk, where the male could see she was wearing black heeled boots that went up to her knees, and a red, plaid min-skirt. Her blouse was white, and had no collar, so it revealed a good portion of her shoulders, however, it covered her arms straight to the cuffs on her wrists. Over this blouse was a tight, green tank top which had cupped at her breast area, and parted towards her bellybutton, due to the black string that inter-looped through the holes going up her torso, and tied into a nice bow. She had waist-length blond hair and piercingly golden eyes, which were staring right back at him, while her face held a soft smile; the second real smile he had seen in years.

The woman removed her legs from her desk, and sitting straight. After seeing that he had walked far enough into the room, the female snapped her fingers, and instantaneously, the door shut, causing the arrancar to turn back in alarm as he watched the door vanish, his eyes wide. Now, there was more of a reason to be scared.

"Hello, Ulquiorra! Would you like to have a seat?" The Cuatro turned back towards her, eyes still darted with shock as he stared at a calm and patient expression upon the woman's face.

* * *

><p>finished! i thank all who have read, and u stay tuned for chapter 3.<p>

Until then, Atto Shato,  
>~ K. Fang-sama<p> 


	3. Paperwork

"Chapter Three;  
>Paperwork"<p>

Nnoitora was in his private study, filling out forms that normally would leave him so utterly bored, but with what happened a few days before, the Quinto felt no reason as to fight, knowing someone he cared so much about, not only had been protecting him for nearly four years through his own misery, but also felt too scared to confront his fears with the Nakama he cared about. If there was a thing they vowed never to do, it was to keep secrets from each other, especially when things were going wrong; so what happened that made him be quiet?

The Espada shook his head, placing another sheet of finished paperwork in the done pile. He normally hated his work so much, one of his superiors had to stand over him and make sure he got it finished, but now, there was nothing else to soak up his agony, or to make him want to fight; he couldn't even get pissed off like he used to. And when it came to his sexual desires, they had melted away, and he sent away every girl that came for some fun.

_"It's official; I'm beyond out of line!"_ He thought, leaning back in his seat, and placing the pen back in the ink well. He knew it was fact, especially with his recent behavior, and that fact made him feel even worse. Not once had Nnoitora felt so lost and confused, and not once had he let it affect him like this. _"I need to snap out of this, or Aizen's gonna be on my ass!"_ He noted. The ruler of Las Noches doesn't skip a beat on analyzing situations, and he knew that the way he had been acting was way too out of the ordinary to go unnoticed.

He stood, Tesla following in suit, as he made his way to Szayelaporro's study. The room was just as freaky as he remembered it being, with science books, potions, machinery, and all sorts of jarred body parts around the room. He wondered how the hell Szayel could actually work in a place like this before remembering how nuts he is, and pushing the creepiness of the room aside.

The Quinto looked ahead, seeing Szayel was sitting at his desk, talking with Grimmjow about theories as to why Ulquiorra had left. "Mind if I cut in?" He questioned the two as Tesla shut the door. They only nodded, Szayel pointing towards the empty chairs so the two could sit down. They did so, Nnoitora's face meeting his hand. "I'm losing my fucking mind..." He stated simply, not sure how else to put it.

Grimmjow snorted at this. "Yeah, join the club! Szayel hasn't experimented on anything in days, and I've actually been listening to orders from Tousen; of all the fucking things I'd swear I'd never do, that was one of 'em!" He shouted, rather irritated with himself. He despised the man with a passion, but he couldn't help himself, for once; that misery made him forget the rest of it, at least for a little while.

"Yeah? Well, I've been spending the last few days catching up on my paperwork." He stated, simply. They looked at him in shock. He'd have to be forced to do his paperwork, otherwise, it'd remain untouched. The fact he had been willing to do so was one of those things you just _knew_ made a huge impact on him.

Szayel sighed of grief. "After all the drama we took in, we just can't help but ask ourselves questions we won't be able to answer. To add to it, we don't know where to begin to start looking except with Aizen, but even I'm not that willing to risk my neck to snoop like that." He stated, as a matter of fact, he knew that there were only so few things they could do to look. "Besides, we'd probably end up asking more questions than getting answers." He muttered, angrily, wanting to hit something, or someone, more rather.

The other three only nodded in agreement, knowing full well that with Aizen, things were hell bound, if they wanted to find anything. Still, they couldn't help but want to know, especially considering all that's happened. To know and then make a certain someone pay for making that happy child suffer.

Tesla decided to speak up, wanting to take the subject away from Aizen, and getting them to focus on something else. "Szayel-sama, I only recall one other time I've seen you this enraged; do you remember?" He questioned, thinking about six years back.

The pink-haired man lit up at the question. "How could I ever forget? It was the day we met Ulquiorra-san!" He proclaimed, taking off his glasses so he could rub his eyes.

The superior Espada looked at them, confused. "What the hell happened to make you like that?" Grimmjow asked.

Szayel sighed once more. "I suppose I could explain; after all, if not for my behavior, that day, I would have never met him, and Tesla wouldn't be with Nnoitora..."

_- Almost Seven Years Ago: Numeros Training Grounds_

_If there was a day that he had ever felt so pissed off, it was today. Szayel was regularly looked at as a homo; no matter how many times he yelled he was straight; and he finally found the person who started the rumor, and had begun to fight him; this fight, however, didn't last very long. "No way! There's no way in hell I lost to a fagot!" He yelled._

_The younger of the Granz siblings glared at him, his eyes filled with rage. "I'M NOT GAY, YOU FUCKING IMBECILE!" He retorted loudly, sheathing his zanpakuto. "And just so you know, I've had regular hallows that gave me a harder time than you." He exclaimed, more calmly, but still just as cold._

_"Why, you little-" He was cut off by a sword pressing against his neck. He turned, seeing Tesla in spot._

_"I suggest you do not finish that sentence; if you want to live, that is." He stated calmly, getting him to back away. "The next time I see you bothering Szayelaporro, I will slit your throat, myself!" He threatened, glaring at him. And with that, the arrancar took his leave. "Are you alright?" Tesla asked, sheathing his blade._

_"Yes, I suppose so." He sighed out, running a hand through his bright colored hair. "How could he not notice that I was going easy on him?" He questioned aloud, rhetorically. He still got an answer._

_"Because most arrancar like him don't pay attention to footing." They turned, seeing none other than a nine year old Ulquiorra in front of them. He had only been an Espada for a day, so not a lot of people knew of his existence, yet. Still, he was sitting there, watching their whole fight, then speaking with them. "If they did, they would have seen you pivoting off of each foot." He threw in._

_Szayel and Tesla both arched a brow, staring at each other in confusion before looking back at the ebony, approaching him, slowly. "Mind my asking, but just who are you? What's your rank?" The scientist questioned, stepping towards the child in a casual manner, yet staring at him as if he were infectious. Their were a few children in Las Noches, surprisingly enough, but none of them had developed that kind of mental capacity as to tell when someone's going easy on them._

_The porcelain-skinned child frowned, giving them a doubtful look. "Ulquiorra Cifer; as for rank, you wouldn't believe me if I told you." He stated, flatly. The other Espada still didn't believe it; no way was there going to be a single numeros that would. It's what he argued, but Aizen had sent him down that way, anyhow._

_The pink-haired man put his hands on his hips, standing proud and staring down at the child with a humerus grin on his face. "Why? What are you? An Espada?" He asked, mockingly, beginning to chuckle with his blond friend._

_After a few seconds, he answered. "Yes..."_

_The two stopped laughing before staring at him, yet again, in disbelief. Ulquiorra only sighed before zipping down his jacket, and moving the left portion to reveal a six tattooed on the left side of his chest. He didn't like the idea of being an Espada, still, simply because people would be reluctant as to believe him, unless he gave them proof; even then that didn't go well..._

_Szayel bent over to take a closer look. He could see that the skin was still healing from the inking process, and as he reached out to touch, he just as easily saw the child wince as he traced the six on his chest. He stood up, allowing the boy to zip up his jacket, before speaking once more. "A recent decision I'd take it; you must have gotten that tattoo yesterday or the day before." Ulquiorra nodded at this fact. "Well, it's very nice to meet you, Ulquiorra-san! I'm Arrancar #18, Szayel Aporro Granz!" He greeted, kindly._

_Albeit surprised by the kindness Szayel had shown him, Ulquiorra smiled still, feeling a bit more easy with talking to them. At which point, he directed his attention to Tesla, hoping to hear his name, as well. Which, of course, he did. "Arrancar #50, Tesla Lindocruz; it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Cifer-sama." He introduced himself bowing._

_The current Sexta shook his head. "I prefer being called by my given name, if you don't mind, Tesla." He told him, receiving a nod in response._

_The pink-haired male cleared his throat. "Mind my asking, Ulquiorra-san, but what are you doing down here?" He questioned, still rather amused a child was made an Espada, but acted casually with it so as to learn more about the boy; oh, how his curiosity was craving him to just look for himself, but he knew better._

_Again, Ulquiorra smiled. "I'm lookin' for fraccion! I haven't any that I'd like, and others that learn my rank just wanna fight me," he trailed off, sighing, "but, then I ran into you two!" He exclaimed, happily._

_They stared at each other, surprised. "Ulquiorra-sama, why would you want us as your fraccion?" The blond questioned, confused._

_The smile still remained. "Easy! You're both strong, smart, and are first few that haven't tried anything on spot; I'd like to work with people who are willing to work with me, so what do ya say?" He asked them, hoping for a yes from each. There was no way he was going to be as lucky to find any others._

_"Could you excuse us so we may discuss this?" Szayel questioned, receiving a nod from his superior. He walked to the other end of the room with Tesla, deciding to get a good talk in. "I think we should go for it! Ulquiorra-san is nice, and it would be interesting to figure out why Aizen made him a Sexta." He told his friend, a grin on his face that read of amusement._

_Tesla seemed a bit worrisome over the idea. "I am just as curious as you, Szayel, but I don't know if we want him as our Espada; what if he isn't all that strong?" He questioned._

_The scientist wagged his finger. "I've taught in the past to never assume, but to explore in the idea until you proof of what is being questioned, and assuming makes it a biased opinion." He stated, turning towards the ebony waiting for them. "And besides, Aizen wouldn't have made him an Espada without there being a hell of a good reason." He stated, walking forward, Tesla following after a few short moments._

_As they approached the Espada, a smile on Szayel's face, he looked up, wonder entering his mind as to what they were discussing before pushing it aside; he didn't want to get into business that didn't involve him, which he was pretty sure that they wanted to keep their opinions of him to themselves. "Well, guys? What do ya say?" He asked them._

_They both gave him a serious glance within their eyes. "We're in!" Said Szayel._

- Present

"And, that's it!" He told them, relaxing in his chair. The two Espada stared at them, a bit surprised. "What did you expect? We didn't know him, well enough, yet!" He argued, shooting them a look. "Besides, our first time meeting him couldn't have been worse than how he met one of you two." He added, taking a sip of tea.

"I met him when he was given his rank; I'd call it better than with you and Tesla." He stated.

Nnoitora chuckled at this. "You would say that." He commented, playfully.

The Sexta glared at him. "Yeah, well at least I didn't try to beat him to a bloody pulp when I met him." He shot back, remembering the former octova's actions that scared the kid half to death.

**- Karakura Town: Same time**

Today was by far the most boring day of his life. Here, Kurosaki Ichigo sat with Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro, doing one thing to pass the boredom of the rain: paperwork. Ichigo got bored, and saw that the captain was stacked to the brim with it, and was most likely going to suffocate in it had the stacks of papers fell on him, so he invited the captain over so he could aid with the damned workload.

The young captain felt relieved, seeing as how he was getting a hand from someone else, unlike a certain lazy lieutenant of his. Albeit, he got annoyed when the substitute started talking to him, he felt it nice. To make things better, as inexperienced with the subject he was, he did a very good job, so the young captain knew that he didn't have to look over the other male's shoulder to make sure he got the work done.

So, here the two were on Friday night, writing away at the papers at pushing ten at night, and were finally finishing. "If it takes this long with me helping you, I'd hate to see how long it takes you to finish by yourself." The strawberry commented, noticing the time, and noting to the fact they started about twelve hours before.

The albino shook his head. "I normally don't, unless I get a lighter load, or if Ukitake comes in to help." He stated, dryly. It was sad, but he had to handle his paperwork, as well as his lieutenant's. What was he supposed to do about it? If she weren't sleeping in the office, then she was running away from the office, or out drinking.

The orange head sighed. "Have you ever gotten her to sit still?" He questioned, wondering how the captain's busty lieutenant could be so selfish when she seemed so kind to her superior on other occasion. The thought didn't really add up.

"A few times, but not often. Unless it has something to do with my health, or her wanting to go out, somewhere nice to finish. Even then, that's rare." He replied, annoyance rising slightly in his voice. He remembered several outings with that woman, and they were never fun for him; most were just that embarrassing, and if not that, frustrating.

Just then, there was a loud banging at his door. The two looked up and saw Kurosaki Isshin open the door, in his standard lab coat. "Good, you two are still awake! Come on, we gotta move!" The two stared at each other with confused looks before standing up, rushing alongside the doctor to the clinic where the girls were already set. "I need all the hands I get; we had an accident down a few blocks." He told them.

Ichigo went with his father, which left Toshiro to get instructed by his younger siblings on how to assist them. "So, what the hell happened?" He questioned his father, helping him rush in a male patient with black hair and pale skin. He was drenched head to foot, and it was very clear that he was bleeding, harshly.

"Traffic lights weren't working properly. Two drivers collided, one with passengers. One was able to stop without hurting anyone, but this kid was smack dad in the others way, and ended being slammed into a wall. I don't know much more than what the EMT's said." He explained, bringing the boy into the room, and calling for his medical bag.

The younger Kurosaki stared at the male while he was working with his dad. _"He seems...familiar."_


End file.
